The location of the knee pain can vary depending on which structure is involved. With infection or an inflammatory process, the whole knee might be swollen and painful, while a torn meniscus or fracture of a bone gives symptoms only in one specific location. A Baker cyst will usually cause pain in the back of the knee. The severity of the joint pain can vary, from a minor ache to a severe and disabling pain.
Some of the other signs and symptoms that accompany knee pain are:
- difficulty weight bearing or walking due to instability of the knee,
- limping due to discomfort,
- difficulty walking up or down steps due to ligament damage,
- locking of the knee (unable to bend the knee),
- redness and swelling,
- inability to extend the knee, and
- shifting weight to the opposite knee and foot.